The Psalms tell us that King David prayed
after he was called out for his sin
in taking Bathsheba from her husband,
a soldier who served him faithfully
to his own death on David’s orders
And our own sin now resounds in our ears
in the cries of our neighbors
chanting at one who serves us faithfully
SEND HER BACK
SEND HER BACK
SEND HER BACK
So, have mercy on us, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out our transgressions
Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity,
and cleanse us from our sin,
For we know our transgressions,
and our sins are ever before us
and before those we sin against
and before the nations of the world
as we proclaim ourselves to be your followers
but we chant exclusion
and pretend superiority
and grasp to keep that which was never ours
while we lock little children in cages
away from the parents who love them
and proclaim ourselves a nation of family values
who honors the Lord
Against you, you alone, have we sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgment.
We were born guilty
conceived in the sin of enslaving others
who were made in Your image
pretending we could deny their humanity
and use their labor for our convenience and profit
leveraging your holy Scriptures
to hold your children in bondage
punishing those who sought the freedom promised
in our proclamations of our ideals
You desire truth in our inward being;
so teach us wisdom in our secret hearts
Purge us with hyssop
And force us to cough up
the bile that rises
from our inmost being
poisoning us from within
Breath into us your holy breath so we will be clean
Cleanse us so that we may see your image in each other
Create in us a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within us
Do not cast us away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from us
Restore to us the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in us a willing spirit.
A spirit that sees the hungry and would feed them
A spirit that sees the wounded and would heal them
A spirit that sees needs and moves to meet them
Regardless of the cost or the inconvenience
Regardless of how we judge the worthiness
Of the hungry or the wounded or the needy
Then we will teach transgressors your ways,
because we will be following your ways ourselves
instead of insisting that the ways of sin are holy
and other sinners will return to you as we have
Even our leaders and the chanting crowds will repent
and turn from their wickedness to love justice and mercy
and follow your commands
Deliver us from bloodshed, O God, O God of our salvation,
and our tongues will sing aloud of your deliverance
Set the captives free again as you have so many times before
O Lord, open our lips,
and our mouths will declare your praise
For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if we were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
You have told us what sacrifice is acceptable to you:
a broken spirit
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Make the world new again in your good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of your holy city, and provide a place of safety and freedom
for those fleeing wickedness and violence and harm
Then take delight in our right sacrifices, as we attune our ears to those who cry out
As we hear those who wait patiently for you to hear them
and to draw them out of the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set their feet upon a rock,
making their steps secure.
As we hear those who plead with you not to withhold your mercy
or your steadfast love or your faithfulness
as evils encompass them without number
As we listen for those who cry out to you for deliverance and for help
For those who are poor and needy,
may we become your help and deliverance without delay.
May they who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
As we proclaim, “Here we are;
In the scroll of the book it is written of us
We delight to do your will, O God;
your law is within our hearts
We proclaim the glad news of deliverance
We have not hidden your saving help within our hearts
We have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
We have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation!”
As we join our voices and shout:
WELCOME HOME
WELCOME HOME
WELCOME HOME
Amen.
